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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ground · scale · temple · leaves · dip · club · straw · season

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to sink
  3. club — for golf
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. season — in sport
  8. club — for dancing
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. scale — in music
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. season — of the year
  16. ground — a position
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. scale — size or range
  21. club — a group
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com